Highland Light (15 page)

"Ailene."

Gideon whispered her name

"God, love I was so frightened when I heard he had stolen you."

He wrapped both arms around her, pinned her arms close to his chest.

"Dear heart."

Gideon's hands stroked her back. She yawned as she tucked her head into the hollow of his throat. Ailene drifted into sleep again.

Gideon heard her breathing slow and knew she would sleep again. He was unwilling to leave the bed and the woman he held. Perhaps he should get up to see if anything needed tending to, but he felt so warm and content. Gideon closed his eyes, he forgot about rising.

The morning was far gone when Gideon finally arose. Ailene murmured and curled up when he left the bed yet she did not wake. She would need to eat soon. The partial cup of broth she had eaten the previous evening was not sufficient to restore her. Gideon dressed then went down the stairs to see what might be in the kitchen that Ailene could eat.

He found Idelle in the kitchen making bread. Seumas was seated at the kitchen table sipping from a tankard.

"Good morn Gideon. Ailene still asleep?"

Seumas set the tankard down.

"Aye, she is still asleep."

Gideon ran his fingers through his hair.

"I cannot believe he locked her in that shed."

Seumas shook his head.

"Let it be man. She is home safe. Ye canna go back and finish him now."

Gideon eyed Seumas for a moment, then laughed.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Aye. Ye are when it comes to Ailene. I was wondering if ye wished to see the wall and the progress there? She ha done a good job."

"I had thought to take some food up to Ailene."

Gideon took the bread that Idelle offered with a nod of thanks.

Idelle wiped her hands on her apron then set a tankard of water before Gideon.

"Nay fash yerself Gideon. Edeen will be here shortly. We will see to Ailene. Ye see to what ye need to."

For a moment he was undecided. Gideon knew Ailene would be well taken care of by Edeen but was reluctant to leave her care to others. He sighed. Idelle and Seumas exchanged smiles.

"Go along Gideon. Ye will see her later."

Idelle urged him on with a wave of her hand. Seumas rose from the table, Gideon followed. They were both correct. Edeen would take care of Ailene.

He and Seumas inspected the partially finished wall. Then the two men went into the storeroom. Gideon was amazed at the progress Ailene had made with the tunnel. Ainsley joined them. The lad tapped Seumas on the arm so that he would move over.

"We were searching for stone ta shore up tha foundation here."

Ainsley crawled into the hole where he motioned to the lines drawn in the hard packed soil under the foundation. The young man explained what they were planning to do. Gideon saw what Ailene wanted to accomplish. He nodded. It was probably the most logical manner in which to proceed. The stone would hold the weight of the foundation better than any other material.

The three of them discussed where they might find the stone needed to proceed. Ainsley told Gideon of the manner in which they had used the stone drill and feathers to remove the unwanted material. The young man advised Gideon that Ailene had planned to quarry more stone in the same manner.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Gideon barely managed to conceal his surprise at his wife's abilities. He had expected her to oversee the building of the tunnel. He had not expected her to be down in the hole driving the drill into the rock.

The thought of Ailene smacking away at the drill was quite amusing. Gideon thought of her all sweaty from her labors. That mental picture caused him to smile. The other two men noted the slight smile and wondered at it. Seumas informed the other two of the area he had seen Ailene searching in. All three decided to see what Ailene might have found.

Gideon went to the stable. He discovered the animal he had been riding the previous day had been taken care of. It occurred to him that everyone had supported him. From the emptying of the bathtub to caring for the horse, the clan had been there for him.

As they rode out to find stone to quarry, Gideon silently considered the evens of the previous day. Everyone had been ready to help him find Ailene. It occurred to him that it had not all been for Ailene. For a moment he flushed when he thought of Idelle working the knots from his muscles as she made sure he ate something.

He wondered if this was the way a family was supposed to be. Memories of his own family was hazy. The learning had lasted longer than the pictures of his mother and father in his head. It was almost as if he had blocked those days out. Perhaps he had.

Only Ailene and Cadell knew he had brought money with him to the clan. The things he was experiencing, their kindness toward him, was a result of his interaction with these people. There was a bond forming he could only barely understand. They stood together for each other. It was something akin to the Templars but not the same. He was not sure what he was feeling just yet. There were puzzles in his past that seemed to keep him from understanding what was developing here. But there was work to be done. Gideon pushed it all to the back of his mind to be explored further another time.

Gideon, Seumas and Ainsley rode out to investigate the rock formation Ailene had been exploring when she was kidnapped.

"I am no sure. We must ask Ailene, but these blocks may do, ken?"

Ainsley pointed toward a tumbled bunch of rocks.

The three of them rode closer to survey the heavy rocks.

"Ailene thought tha blocks should be cut smaller sized then stacked. Tha space we have ta work in being small, mind."

Gideon thought about the lines scratched in the dirt under the foundation.

"Aye. I see the logic in that. There is no way to move bigger blocks into that space."

Seumas nodded in agreement.

"We need Ailene's thoughts on this."

Wanting to go back and see if she was feeling better, Gideon nodded.

"Well then, we must wait until she is better. I am not sure how soon we must return to The Bruce. When The MacGrough returns we may have a better notion."

The horse felt his nervousness, it danced on its front feet.

"Let us go back."

The other two men nodded. Gideon urged his mount into a fast trot. Seumas smiled at Gideon's back.

Seumas' wife, Ailsa, was soon to give him a new bairn. He wished to know his wife and child were well before he returned to the war. Gideon's need to be with Ailene was understood by Seumas.

When Gideoen returned to the hall he found additional animals in the stable. Cadell had returned. As much as Gideon wanted to dash up stairs to see Ailene, he knew he needed to speak with his father in law. The MacGrough was comfortably seated in the hall with the widow in attendance. Gideon raised one eyebrow. Fenella caught his look and blushed.

Cadell was not as shy.

"Gideon! Come lad and sit wa us. See I brought Fenella and Birk along. I dinna wish ta leave them there. I dinna trust ta the kindness of those who should be caring for them."

Gideon felt he had no say as to who his father in law might wish to bring to the glen. He had found the widow to be a kind person.

"Aye. It is good to see you, all of you. Have you brought news as to when we must return?"

Cadell smiled at Gideon.

"That in a moment. I am happy to see ye in one piece. I ken ye brought home our lass as well."

"Aye. Sir, Ailene was ill used by the MacNabs or one of them at least. I wanted to see how she was fairing."

"I saw Edeen a wee while ago. Ailene has eaten a bite, she is sleeping again. Ye may go up shortly lad. I ken from Iver that the MacNab lad will ha a permanent reminder ah his misdeed."

As Cadell watched Gideon's normally serious expression became hard. His eyes flashed dark fire.

"He continues to breathe due to Ailene."

With a slight nod, Cadell finished Gideon's comment.

"An ye would have finished him, I ken that."

Gideon shifted his weight as he looked toward the stairs. Cadell decided he had held the lad long enough.

"Lad, Longshanks is ill unto death. We will wait on tha King. Go see the lass."

Gideon needed no further word, he hurried over to the stairs. As he reached the door, he slowed his steps hoping to not wake her if she was asleep. Gideon carefully opened the door then looked over at the bed.

Ailene heard the door open. She looked up at Gideon with a smiled.

"Ah gradh."

She held out a hand to him, Gideon moved to her side.

"Ailene, are you better?"

He took her hand. Gideon kissed her palm then raised it to his cheek.

"Gideon, can ye come and lie with me?"

He wasted no time in undressing. He slipped into the bed. Gideon sat in the bed then leaned against the wall. He drew Ailene into his lap. Ailene reached up to stroke his cheek.

"When I heard ye call my name...Gideon ye came for me."

He cupped her chin in his hand. Gideon kissed her until her lips opened. His tongue explored her mouth then her soft lips. He held her so tightly to him she almost felt faint.

Gideon stroked her back. When Ailene reached up to brush her hand across his cheek she felt wetness on his skin. Ailene leaned back a bit in order to look into his face.

"Gradh, love, I am sorry to have caused ye pain, twas no my intention."

Gideon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath he tried to control the flood of emotion he felt.

"Ailene, I do not blame you for anything. I did not know what I would find. How he could have left you in that place, I do not understand."

"Alec MacNab, he meant ta bring me to heel, mind. For that reason I could no eat of his food, ye ken?"

Little kisses fell on her face as he silenced her. Then he bent his head to kiss her throat. One hand supported her back the other brushed her hair from her face. It was just a whisper in her ear.

"Is that all he did to you Ailene? Please do not lie to save him. Did he lay hands on you other than to seize you? I must know."

"Nay gradh. That is no why I did no want you to kill him. It was for ye love, I did no want his kin to come for ye. He did naught Gideon. Would ye no longer want me if .."

Her words tailed off.

Gideon rubbed his cheek against hers.

"When I am no longer breathing only then will I not want or need you. Ailene I do not know what I feel. I have so little knowledge of this, what this is between us. I only know I cannot foresee a time when I will not want you."

Kissing and stroking her, Gideon whispered things to Ailene. Some words she could understand others were in languages she did not understand. She knew she did not need to understand the meaning of all the words. The words were all some form of wanting and needing. He set her body on fire. Gideon's needs became her own.

She loved looking at his body in the daylight. Ailene pushed the covers aside, she moved away from him. Pushing her hands into his hair, Ailene pulled his head toward her. As he had done, she placed gentle little kisses on his face. When he would have reached for her, Ailene backed away. She left the bed then turned to watch him as she undid the tie of the nightgown around her neck. Pushing the gown down over her breasts, she continued to watch his face. Gideon's lips parted slightly as he watched.

Ailene reached up to cup her breasts. She took a step forward. Gideon rose from the bed. She glanced downward noting with a smile that he was fully aroused. A surge of heat flushed through her. Her body began to throb with need.

"Only ye Gideon. Gradh, lover, only ye."

He pulled her to him. Up on tiptoes, Ailene found the length of him fitted perfectly between her legs. Ailene slid back and forth on him. The feeling was so intense she found she could not stop.

Gideon gripped her hips. He slid backward a few steps until he was able to sit on the bed. Ailene clutched his shoulders as he reached up to suckle her breasts. His fingers played with her. Ailene began to tremble. He pulled her down into his lap then rolled her into the middle of the bed. Gideon lifted her hips then slowly slid into her.

"Ailene, you are all I want."

He began to stroke her slowly, then faster. As she began to moan in pleasure, Gideon kissed her. His mouth taking possession of her as their bodies came together.

Chapter 14

The Hammer of the Scots was dead. Edward made the final surrender. All Scotland speculated as to what the death of the English king would mean to them. The King of Scotland waited to see if Edward II meant to keep up the campaign against Scotland. In Scotland some lairds were busy trying to raise troops to support The Bruce. Others wondered if Edward II would provide the support necessary to defeat Robert Bruce finally and completely. The blood feud between the Comyns and the Bruce still raged.

After a few weeks of sun and warmth, the weather turned rainy. It was summer but the rain lingered. The grain was not prospering. Only the animals flourished as the clan grumbled at the wet weather.

Not sure how much time he had with Ailene, Gideon rose early to quarry the blocks necessary to shore up the foundation. He had discussed the matter with her so he knew what she wanted done. He found drilling the holes necessary to break the blocks out a tedious chore. Ainsley eagerly helped Gideon. Together they loaded two blocks onto the sledge. The sledge skidded down the wet track easily. Getting the large blocks into the storeroom then down into the hole was more difficult.

Ailene was up and feeling much better. She had wanted to go with Gideon to help with the quarrying. she had not been pleased to be told he did not wish her out in the wet weather. Ailene did not argue with him, which amused Cadell who was in the hall attended by the widow Fenella.

Gideon and Ainsley returned to the keep thoroughly soaked. Their boots squished when they walked. The man and boy carried a block in which was placed it on a waulked plaid. They each took two corners of the plaid then half slid half carried the block into the storeroom.

When they finished with the second block, Gideon stood by the fire in the hall. His clothing steamed in the warmth of the room. He ate some meat and bread standing next to the fire.